CH 7

The reality show "Judgement Day Trial" is popular not only because people crave something real, dark, and even bloody to stimulate their increasingly dull inner world but also because of their sense of justice. Sometimes, people feel that simply imprisoning or executing criminals is too simple, and such punishments are not enough to ease the pain of the victims' families.

Even those who don't watch the show still feel a sense of pleasure when they think about the suffering and torment that the criminal endures in this program. They simply do not believe that any defendant is truly innocent. After all, in previous episodes of the show, no defendant was able to pass the program's tests, and every single one of them ended up revealing their ugly and disgusting side.

But now, as the live broadcast begins, the murderer, Song Juyao, hasn't suffered any hardship. Instead, she seemed to have had a good life in the past. Just the thought of this made the viewers burst with anger.

Song Juyao, however, was extremely happy at the thought of this. Wasn't this the effect she wanted when she dropped this bombshell? The viewers had become accustomed to seeing the miserable appearance of those on trial, but they had never seen a defendant appear so glamorous.

She had to stir their emotions, whether it was anger, disgust, or curiosity, to make them interested in her, or else they would lose interest. This was her chance to show who she was, to make them understand her and become emotionally invested in her ups and downs.

Otherwise, she was just a tool for their entertainment, like every other defendant in the past. So, watch me.

......

Song Juyao's live stream viewership skyrocketed from 200 million to 500 million in a very short period of time, and continues to climb. This level of viewership was only seen during the first season of Judgment Reality Show, when people felt a newfound sense of curiosity for the program.

Mrs. Huo was very angry and was about to call the program team to scold Tan Wei and ask how he had handled things, but Su Qing intervened and stopped her.

"Aunt, please don't be anxious. Look at the barrage, the netizens are even angrier than you. They may not know what this woman did in the virtual world, but the program team will definitely take action soon. They won't let her off the hook for too long. Even if she's feeling triumphant right now, what can she really do? No audience will give her a vote of justice. The better she performs in there, the worse her reputation will be in the real world..."

Mrs. Huo was successfully appeased, "It's just that I can't stand seeing her laughing in there. I feel like throttling her, that woman who has hurt my precious son..."

Su Qing quickly comforted her. "She won't be able to laugh for long."

Su Qing said that but as she looked at the big screen in front of her, her heart was still filled with shock. She had contacted the program team and had friends in the production team, so she was among the first to read the script, and knew more details than the viewers. The family upbringing and environment that this woman had endured were horrifying, a kind of hellish experience that got worse with each passing level. It was enough to drive anyone insane. Su Qing wondered how she had managed to escape and become the person she was now.

This was the answer that everyone was currently seeking.

"What do we do now, Director?" Ming Shu quietly asked the director team as she rushed into the women's restroom.

Tang Kai was also in the men's restroom next door, waiting for instructions.

After a while, one of the assistant directors, Tang Shan, spoke up, "Although the difficulty has been upgraded, your task remains the same."

Tasks that were thought to be easy or even boring, such as gaining friendship and seducing love, suddenly rose up from easy mode to hard mode.

Ming Shu took a deep breath and put on her signature energetic smile that her fans loved.

"Wow! I suddenly feel more motivated to take on this challenge now that the task has become more difficult!" How am I going to get close to her and gain her friendship when she's already graduated from this school? This is insane!

Tang Kai rubbed his chin thoughtfully before leaving the restroom.

After a few moments, he hurried to the school nurse's office, where he found a computer. He opened it and typed "Song Juyao" into the search engine.

Information about Song Juyao quickly appeared on the webpage. She was a celebrity and upon further research, he stumbled upon her detailed biography on an encyclopedia site.

"Quick, switch to Tang Kai's perspective!" In the real world, both the production team and the audience were fixated and all followed him as he leaned in front of the computer screen.

Song Juyao: National darling, renowned prodigy, great mathematician, youngest member of the Leo awards winners team...

A string of titles flashed in people's eyes, and the production team couldn’t believe what they were seeing. This was impossible, this was not the life trajectory they had planned for her! They had envisioned a struggling underdog, not an accomplished overachiever. This was clearly a winner of life!

After the resume was finished, a brief summary of her life story came into their sight.

Life experience: At the tender age of 10, Song Juyao faced the tragic loss of her father and had no family savings. In an effort to support herself and her mother, she joined a puzzle- solving variety show called "I Am the Big Winner". She shocked the nation by knocking out all the guests and her astonishing ability to outperform all the guests secured her a spot on the show as a contestant for the entire season. She set a legendary record by achieving a 100% correct answer rate, earning her the title of the season's champion and nationwide fame. She became a household name and nation’s darling. Song Juyao went on to enroll in the junior high school of the prestigious Jinke Duola Academy, where she skipped a grade and entered the high school section after just one year. She even took the college entrance examination in the same year and was admitted to the highest institution...

Evaluation: Song Juyao's tragic childhood forced her to grow up quickly, but resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity were remarkable. Her achievements were well-deserved, and anyone with these qualities, theoretically cannot fail to achieve success.

This encyclopedia seemed really impressive, and they finally discovered some clues as to why Song Juyao had become the person she was now. It appeared that she deviated from the expected path after the first level of hell, and by participating in the show, she won bonuses, and gained the love of many NPCs nationwide... With these achievements, it was easy to imagine how her story would unfold from here.

【Damn, isn't this defendant a bit too awesome?】

【This defendant was a top student at Capital University studying for a dual degree before being imprisoned.】

【A high IQ criminal?】

【If she's so capable, why didn’t she pursue a legitimate career in real life? What kind of fresh meat is more important than a successful career? High intelligence alone cannot conceal her short-sightedness, acute lust, and mental illness.】

【Even if this defendant does have a high IQ, why did she resort to murder after failing to seduce a minor?】

【Having a high IQ doesn’t change the fact that this defendant committed the heinous act of killing a teenager. This type of person is even more dangerous in society. I estimate that behind her current glory, she must be doing things that cannot be seen. Only time will tell.】

【Waiting for the wolf in sheep's clothing to show its true colors!】

【Go to hell, murderer!】

【......】

The program group staff exchanged glances while the expert panel rubbed their bald heads in frustration.

It was true that the personality and behavior of the defendant, whose memories were hidden, were thrown into the virtual world, would be influenced by their real-world selves. It could be argued that the more pronounced the traits and characteristics of their real selves, the more evident they would be in their virtual bodies. Otherwise, the show could not be deemed a "trial."

However, they had made a grave miscalculation and underestimated an ordinary civilian girl with no influential family background. She may have seemed easy to exploit, but her intelligence and unique personality traits were not to be overlooked.

......

Shortly after the live broadcast began, due to the sudden excitement, people became extremely unhappy and pushed it to the top of the hot search.

As Luo Chao scrolled through his phone, he saw the news and turned to Huo Sen in the back seat, "Hey, isn't this the girl who killed that idiot, Huo Hai? How could you just stand by and do nothing when she looks like this?"

Huo Sen was focused on the papers in his lap and didn't bother to look up. "No time."

"Right, you were preparing for your cabinet exams at that time last year, and even you were nervous at the thought of facing our ruthless king. So, you didn't have time to pay any attention to this innocent girl, did you? I bet you didn't even bother to look at her picture," Luo Chao said.

Looking out the window, he could already catch a glimpse of the top of the Crystal Tower of the Palace. HE further added, "If I had known what she looked like, I would have intervened and saved her. It would have been worth it to play with her for a couple of years. But now it's too late. She's still in jail and on this show. Our Majesty detests criminals like her who attempt to challenge the fairness of the judiciary and use this kind of show as a means to reduce their sentence or gain popularity..."

Huo Sen: "You're scared."

Luo Chao chuckled, "Just kidding. I'm a skilled and courageous person. What do I have to fear about a simple second trial in the cabinet?"

Huo Sen quipped back, "You sure talk a lot when you're scared."

Luo Chao muttered quietly, "Who wouldn't be scared when meeting the king, especially ours? We still have to be interviewed by him later, ooh..."

Despite his apprehension, there was a glint of intense desire in Luo Chao's eyes.

......

In the virtual world.

Auditorium was filled with thunderous applause as Song Juyao finished her speech and Q&A session.

Jinke Duola School was celebrating its 200th anniversary, with students bustling about setting up small stalls and people coming and going in the corridors.

Ming Shu and Tang Kai hid in the crowd, following behind Song Juyao, looking for an opportunity to strike up a conversation with her.

But it seemed too difficult, as there were not only them following Song Juyao, but a group of students with pens and paper were also vying for her autograph. However, because Song Juyao was walking alongside school leaders, nobody was crowding around her.

Ming Shu felt very nervous and uncertain about how they were supposed to complete their task under these conditions.

"I heard that you have completed the previous stage of work and are ready to take a break?" the headmaster asked tentatively.

Song Juyao's gaze scanned the crowd, somewhat distracted. "Yes."

"Would you be interested in taking a break here at the school?" The principal suggested, the idea having been on his mind for several rounds. "You know our dormitory environment is no worse than a hotel, with beautiful scenery and convenient food and accommodation..."

"Well, it's not bad." Song Juyao's gaze was still searching around.

"What is she looking for?"

"I'm a little curious, let me switch to the main perspective."

The headmaster saw this as an opportunity to pitch his idea. "Jinke Duola Academy is a great school, but our enrollment rate has been declining year by year. On the other hand, St. Mary's has been recruiting many students by offering various benefits and advertisements... (sigh) If you stay here for a while, you can give a lecture to the students whenever you have free time and are in the mood."

St. Mary's was Jinke Duola's biggest competitor, and the headmasters of both schools were fierce rivals. Nobody wanted to lose. As the nation's darling, Song Juyao was well-known in the parent circle. If she stayed, she would be a living advertisement for the school. The headmaster imagined parents hearing that Song Juyao was giving a lecture and immediately transferring their children to Jinke Duola.

Song Juyao's searching gaze suddenly stopped. Her eyes lit up like a young girl seeing her crush. The radiance in her eyes was pure and clear, moving people's hearts, very different from her usual demeanor.

"Okay," she said, turning to the headmaster.